Dear Editor,
Firstly, the sound of congratulatory music will soon fade; the flags and banners which were held aloft, will soon be encased and stored. The outcome of the recently concluded General Elections has raised hopes in some quarters for the advancement of the country; it has however further exacerbated the racial divisions in our country. The conduct of the elections was the responsibility of Gecom. Somewhere along the line they dropped the ball, and opened a can of worms, resulting in allegations of rigging, electoral malpractices and the possibility of an Election Petition by the PPP/C.
Fifty point three per cent, is not a good indication of national unity, and based on the perception by the PPP/C that the elections were flawed, it will undoubtedly put enormous pressure on the President to fulfil the promises he made shortly after taking the oath of office. I do however believe that he will keep them.
What is noteworthy is the decision by the outgoing administration to work with the new government to ensure a smooth handover of state assets.
Secondly, in 1966, when 2nd Lieutenants David A Granger and Joseph G Singh returned to Guyana from Mons Officer Cadet School, they were both posted to ‘C’ Company, Guyana Defence Force; the company was then encamped at the Skeldon Sugar Estate on the Corentyne. Second Lieutenants D A Granger, and J G Singh, were appointed Platoon Commanders of 7 and 8 platoons respectively.
The conclusion some of us came to was that these two young officers needed to be protected from the wiles of the outer world; the term “ baby faced” was an apt description for both of them.
It is not my intention to chronicle the rise of 2nd Lieutenant David A Granger from that of a Platoon Commander to becoming the holder of the highest office in our country; I will leave that to persons more qualified than yours truly.
My aim is, on behalf of the original ‘C’ Company of 1966, to congratulate him on his accession to the presidency of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. My felicitations, however, are tinged with sadness, in that 1337 Norbert Granville, who idolized DAG (and referred to him as ‘Wonder Boy’), is not alive to be part of this historic event. Thirdly, to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Harmon, aka ‘Bumpy,’ congratulations on behalf of the ‘old boys’ of the Intelligence Command. One now anxiously awaits his press conferences and his use of the English language à la his predecessor.
Finally, with the utmost respect, I wish to recommend the National School of Music, or the Woodside Choir to those who lack the ability to sing melodiously.
Yours faithfully,
C S Vaughn
Major (rtd)
